Mistakes We Made
by Mathematics of Tears
Summary: The crew of the Andromeda is dead. Now, Trance's daughter will try to lead the crew's children to fix it. Will they succeed, prevent their parents deaths or watch them die again?AU. Updated! For the first time in two years guys! SORRY
1. The End

A/N ok I know I have another fic going on at the moment but hey, im doing two now. READ BELOW OR ELSE YOU WONT UNDERSTAND THE STORY!

Setting 18 years from sometime in season 4. We are going to pretend that the season finale didn't happen and the season premier didn't either. The Magog World ship was not destroyed. It flew around for 18 years trying to pick off all the planets, who to their credit, put up a hell of a fight. The Commonwealth split in two. The Collection (run by collectors duh) and the Separates. They both pretty much ignored each other. Now the situation is bad. w/o a united force, no way the Magog will be defeated.

Shalimar Hunt engineer Alexander Hunt Weapons officer, second in Command

Gaheris Rhade II Captain of Andromeda

Oenone (Oh-A-No-Nay) Valentine Rhade Pilot - third to Command

Maria Toshiba life support & sensors Joy Gemini Medic & whatever is needed

OK I owe credit to Oenone (the fanfiction writer) for the names Gaheris and Oenone. They were both her ideas. ï

Ok Alex & Shalimar Dylan and OC's kids

Gaheris & Oenone Beka and Rhade's

Maria Harper's adopted daughter

Joy Trance's daughter

Gaheris is 19. Oenone is 18. Shalimar and Alex are twins and 3 months younger then Oenone. Maria is 16. Joy is unknown. She joined the Andromeda recently but Trance had her a long time ago.

O-ne, Oenone's nickname, is pronounced Oh-Nay

Ok now to the story sorry for all this but I had to explain.

Chapter 1

The Andromeda was screwed. Trance, dead. Killed by Collectors because they were told she was helping Magog. Dylan and his wife, dead. Beka and Rhade, dead. Rommie, blown up. Harper dead. Oenone, Gaheris, Joy, Shalimar, Alexander and Maria stood on Command.

"All Magog have left the ship or been destroyed." Andromeda said. She looked extremely sad. No wonder. Her Captain just died.

"They're all dead...all of them..." Joy said softly to herself. Her mind rewound to the announcement Trance made a month ago.

"_Dylan, the Collectors know where I am." Trance said._

"_Well yeah, you are on Andromeda." Dylan responded._

"_No, I mean, they found my star." Trance said._

_Everyone in Command looked at her. They had known she was a star avatar for a long time._

"_I have to go." She said sadly._

_Trance hugged everyone in Command except Dylan and Joy._

"_Good-bye Harper, Rhade, Beka, Rommie, Shal, Alex, O-ne, Gaheris, Maria, goodbye."_

_She then turned to Dylan and hugged him. "Dylan, you will die if I stay. The Collectors are sending a Nova Bomb. I don't know when it will hit but it will be soon."_

"_Why can't you stay?" Harper asked, "Can't you sever yourself for the star, like I can sever Rommie from the AI core?"_

_Trance looked down sadly, a tear running down her cheek. "It doesn't work like that..."_

_Trance walked over to her daughter, Joy. "I'm sorry, I will miss you." Tears rolled down Trance's cheek. Joy nodded, crying too. "You know what you have to do." Trance said._

"_Yes Mother."_

_Trance smiled through her tears. "There is nothing I can do. Nothing you can do. Good-bye."_

"_Trance's slipfighter is away." Rhade said. All of the sudden, in a flash or gold light, the slipfighter exploded in a sphere of fire._

"_NO!" Joy's anguished cries echoed through Command._

Joy shook the memories from her mind.

Gaheris stood with his arm around his little sister's shoulders. Gaheris was named after his ancestor in what he believes in hopes that he would be better. Also, Dylan had told him that Gaheris was doing what he thought would be right, for the least amount of suffering. Personally, he would rather be named after a hero, not some one who was judged a traitor but a name is a name. Gaheris couldn't help but think back to when his and Oenone's parents died.

"_Dylan," Maria said, "We are receiving a message from the Maru."_

"_Put it up." Dylan replied._

"_Dylan!," Beka shouted," We got the parts we need, the only problem is we got Magog too!"_

"_Hang in there Beka! We'll help..."_

"_No! Too late! Gaheris, Oenone, your father and I love you!" Beka said._

"_Mother! We can still..."_

"_No, I cant risk you all getting hurt! Just promise me when we are dead, you suck these bastards out of the Maru!" Beka shouted over all the noise in the Maru._

_Just then the transmission broke up. Then the Maru exploded in a fiery hell._

"_No!" Oenone shouted. "Mom! Dad!" Oenone lunged at the screen as if getting there would save them. _

"_No, O-ne. they're gone, they're gone." Gaheris said, taking his sister by the shoulders._

"_No!"_

"_They are gone." Gaheris said. He pulled his sister into a hug as she cried on his shoulder._

Gaheris was shaken from his thoughts by the sight of silent tears falling down his sisters face and he knew she was thinking the same thing he was.

Maria looked at the ground. Harper was the closest thing she ever had to a father. He had saved her from starving on a drift when she was 7. Even though she was Syrian, he raised her as his own. Now he was dead. They had been fighting Magog, a week after Beka and Rhade's death....

_Magog were shooting and there was a hull breach on Harper's way to the slip stream core. Everyone knows what happens when there is a hull breach. Everything and everyone is sucked out._

Maria looked up to see Shalimar and Alex talking in low voices.

Shalimar and Alex, being Dylan's children, were the most recent to lose their dad. Their mother had died shortly after their birth. Then, about three hours ago...

_Magog had punctured the hull. They were all over. Dylan and Rommie had gone to fight them. They were attacked from behind. They killed Dylan, their dad. They blew up Rommie. Their friend, their mentor._

Now, all that was left was Joy, Shalimar, Alex, Oenone, Gaheris, and Maria. The crew's children.

"Why did they have to go?" Shalimar asked to no one in particular.

"I don't know." Alex shrugged. "Maybe it was fate."

"NO! They shouldn't have died!" Joy said unexpectedly. "This wasn't supposed to happen! Now, we have to fix it!"

A/N I know this is border lining what others have done and im sorry but this is different. Press the little purple button please. I want to know what you think.

Love from Sara


	2. Too Easy

A/N Thanks for those of you who reviewed, I am so happy. I won't always be updating this soon. Most of the time it will be awhile. I love suggestions. : )

Chapter 2

"Fix it?" Oenone asked. She had dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders and flipped out much like Beka's. She also dressed a lot like Beka. She had all of Beka's old clothes and at the moment was wearing her black shirt with holes in it and a leather jacket with dark green pants and black boots. Her brown eyes looked at Joy questioningly.

"There is no way to fix this! They died! They are dead! Gone! And we, we are alone!" Oenone shouted. Oenone, being half Nietzschean had the boneblades but not the temperament. She was a lot like her mother but more emotional at times. Gaheris was a lot like Telemachus except he showed more emotion and seemed more human. He also looked almost exactly like him.

"Oenone, calm down." Gaheris said. He knew how much the topic of their parent's deaths hurt her but it hurt them all. All of their parents had died in the last two months.

"No! It is over! We failed! They failed! And now it is up to us to pick up the pieces."

"Stop!" Alexander said. "Just...stop." Alexander and Shalimar both looked like Dylan except they had their mother's eyes. They also had a personality so similar to his it was scary at times.

"Listen, we can't fall apart, not now. Not after all we have been through. Our parents died fighting the Magog and the Abyss. Now, we have to continue that!" Maria said. Maria wasn't human. She was Syrian which means she had many black 'S' shaped lines with a dot at either end running down the sides and arms and legs of her entire body.

"No, what I mean is that this wasn't supposed to happen. Not like this. Of course they will die but not yet!" Joy said. "And now we don't 'pick up the pieces.' We fix what they didn't. Couldn't. Didn't know how."

"Joy, I honestly think you have lost it. You might be able to travel through time but we cant!" Shalimar said.

"Yes." Joy mumbled to herself. Then looked up. "Yes, you can."

"Joy have you completely fried your brain?" Alex asked.

"No. Andromeda, bring up the slipstream route to the Route of Ages." Joy said.

"Aye." Andromeda answered.

Up came the slip points.

"Oenone, take us there." Joy said, pointing.

"What? Why?" Oenone asked. With both of their parents as pilots, it was natural they would be able to fly extremely well but Oenone was by far better.

"Because, that is the way to fix this." Joy said. "I will explain when we get there. Just go."

Oenone looked at Gaheris who now, being Andromeda's captain, nodded.

"Ok, I think you are both crazy but hey, what else is new." Oenone said. Alex smiled. Maria looked nervous.

"Well I am going down to the engine room, to make sure that duct tape I used to mend the slipstream core doesn't fall off." Shalimar said leaving command.

"Everyone, to your stations. It is more then likely we will encounter Magog on the way or when we get there." Gaheris said grimly.

10 jumps later....

"O-ne, you ok?" Gaheris asked.

"No, not really." Oenone muttered. "But its ok. Only 5 more jumps to go."

"O-ne, get some rest, I can bring us there. Get some food or sleep." Gaheris said.

"Ok." Oenone sounded relieved.

"I don't like this." Maria said a few minutes after Oenone left command.

"What?" Alex asked.

"This. It is too easy. There are no Magog trying to kill us. It just doesn't seem normal. Like they are waiting to set a trap..."

"More then likely." Gaheris said. "Remember, like it or not, the Magog of today use tactics. Which for them is an incredible feat."

Maria still looked worried. "Still, this just is too..." As Maria was about to finish, the Andromeda shook as missiles made contact with the hull.

"EASY!" Maria shouted over the noise. "Its Magog! 9 swarm ships!"

"Alex, take 'em out!" Gaheris shouted.

"You got it! Loading missile tubes 1 through 50!" Alex said. "FIRE!"

"3 of the ships have been destroyed." Andromeda's hologram popped up and reported.

"Reload!" Alex ordered. "Fire!"

"All remaining targets have been destroyed and we are 4 slip points from the Route of Ages." Andromeda reported.

"Too easy." Gaheris and Maria said.

"I agree." Andromeda said.

"But for now, there is nothing we can do." Gaheris said. "We'll continue and meet the challenges when they arrive. Andromeda..."

"Opening slipstream portal."

A/n I know it isn't the best. This was the last chapter I had already written out. So now, I need suggestions!


	3. What the hell is that?

A/N Ok I know it has been a long time. Umm....nothing more to say. OH YEAH! I changed my pen name!!

Chapter 3

"Entering slipstream." Andromeda reported. They were going through the last slip point to the Route of Ages.

Alexander sat at the weapons consol. A million thoughts were racing through his mind.

_Dad, I'll get to see you again...Stay focused! Magog...killed them....Mom...will I see you...meet you...my mother...Stay focused!_

Gaheris was piloting Andromeda. Half of him was on auto-pilot. The other half was thinking.

_Father, Mother, I will get to tell you what I never could...how much I appreciate you..._

Oenone was sleeping when the dreams came. So much shooting, she saw her parent's bodies being eating by Magog, guts everywhere. Then there was Joy. "Hold on Oenone. It will be alright..." No, that wasn't Joy..._Trance._

Oenone awoke with a start. Trance? In her dreams? But this wasn't a dream...not like normal ones...something was odd.

_I don't dream! Never! if I do I never remember it! Trance...what are you saying? What is it?_

Shalimar sat on the catwalk she and Dylan had sat on so many times. She and Harper, too. Shalimar smirked. _If only he could see what is here now._

Sparky Cola cans were gone and dirty rags were in their place. Lots and lots of spare parts.

_Dad...I am so sorry! I should have been able to help! There was something I could have done I know it!_

Andromeda, while doing all the necessary functions, had a small part of her mind she reserved for Rommie. Before Rommie was blown up, she uploaded her Android personality into a file so she could still talk to her friends. (A/N Andromeda is such a bitch! Was nice in the first season...is mean now!!!)

Rommie was excited, bouncing off her holographic walls. She was talking to herself too.

"Dylan, Trance, Beka, Rhade, Harper, Anya (Dylan's wife), I will see you again! It is almost time!!!"

Joy stood in her spot on the bridge, quietly observing. Her mother taught her everything she knew. Now she could save her. _And I will._

Maria wasn't thinking, she blocked out everything but the readings in front of her. That was all she needed at the moment.

As they jolted out of slipstream, the Route of Ages loomed before them.

"Joy..." Gaheris said.

Joy looked down. "The rotation we need to get to is in 25 minutes. I suggest we rest, this wont be exactly pleasant."

Gaheris was about to agree when an alarm went off.

"Hostile ship approaching."

"Visual?"

"on screen."

The entire command fell silent.

Oenone was the first to recover her voice. No one noticed her come in.

"What the hell is that?"


	4. Peach

A/N Thank you for reviewing! NOW DO IT AGAIN!

Chapter 4

"Scanning." Andromeda said, closing her eyes. Her eyes flew open.

"Andromeda?" Gaheris asked.

"It...I don't know what it is. I can guess though..." Andromeda said slowly.

"Well?" Alexander asked.

"From what I can tell, it is a new Magog ship."

"Another one? We don't need anymore we have the world ship!" Oenone said.

"Nevertheless, it is. It..."

"Andromeda, it's huge!"

"Agreed. It is approximately 3 times the size of the world ship." Andromeda answered.

"Shit!" Oenone exclaimed.

"It is comprised of an unknown material...I believe it is...organic." Andromeda said in disbelief.

"Organic?" Maria asked.

"Well that would make sense, it looks like a giant rotting pumpkin." Oenone stated.

"No, more like a bruised peach." Shalimar said walking in. "What in the name of yellow Persieds is that?"

"That, would be the Magog's new ship." Gaheris muttered.

"What kind or weapons does that thing have?" Shalimar asked.

"Unknown." Andromeda answered.

"Maybe it has none." Maria suggested.

"If it had no weapons, the Magog wouldn't need it." Oenone answered.

"Um...is it just me or have they been 'approaching' us for 5 minutes?" Alex asked.

"Yeah?" Oenone said.

"So, lets get the hell out of here before we have peach juice thrown at us!" Alex yelled.

"We cant leave." Joy said. "We don't have the time or a way to leave then come back and get into the right portal. We have 20 minutes and we have to make sure we get into that portal or it is another 70 minutes before it comes around again."

"How do you know that?" Gaheris asked.

"I just do."

"Well, the Peach is firing!" Alex said suddenly. "Closing fast. "

"Impact in 5...4...3...2...1!" Andromeda said.

A jolt rocked the ship sending everyone to the ground.

"Andromeda return fire!"

"Aye."

Another jolt and anyone who was standing found themselves on the floor again.

"Andromeda?" Gaheris asked.

"Weapons ineffectual." Andromeda said.

"Dammit do something!" Oenone shouted.

"Incoming!"

A final jolt rocked the ship, sending Shalimar flying across command. All firing then ceased.

"They stopped." Maria said slowly.

"Shalimar??!!" Gaheris asked quickly. "SHLIMAR ANSWER ME!"

"Omhgdikllhm." Shalimar moaned.

"Shal, are you alright?" Gaheris asked.

"No. I was just flung across command, I am not alright. I think...I think I fractured a few ribs and AH! Yes, the arm is definitely broken." She mumbled and tried to get up.

Gaheris and Alex crawled over to her.

"Ow!" Said as they came over andGaheris felt her ribs.

"Yeah, they're fractured. We need to get you to med deck."

"Good idea. Before it pokes my lung and I die like my father." With that she faded from consciousness.


	5. Winged Peaches

A/N Yo

Chapter 5

Joy was down in medical with Shalimar and Alex. Oenone, Gaheris and Maria stayed in Command.

"Oof." Maria muttered, moving a hunk of metal that had fallen at her station.

"Why hasn't the giant Peach tried to kill us yet?" Oenone asked to no one in particular.

"I don't know." Andromeda said. She looked confused.

"Andromeda," Gaheris asked, "What made that?"

"What do you think dumbass?" Oenone asked her brother.

"I just want to make sure," he hissed back.

"I don't know exactly what made it." Andromeda interrupted them. "But I do know that there are 21,215,654 million Magog inside it."

Oenone, Gaheris and Maria were all quiet.

"Not fair." Oenone muttered. "Their babies get fatter faster. Another question, why haven't the killed us yet?"

"Maybe they are out of ammunition."

"No, I don't think so." Joy said, walking into the room with Alex.

"Where is Shalimar?" asked Gaheris.

"In the Med bay." Joy answered. "The Magog always have ammo. They make a point to."

"then, again, why aren't they firing?" Oenone asked impatiently.

"Maybe they are guarding the Route of Ages. They knew we were coming." Joy said.

"No, I don't think that is possible." Maria said. "It is just the 6 of us here and all of us hate Magog."

"Yeah, remember when we were little and Dylan...Dylan would bring all us kids to Obs. deck for old war stories?" Oenone started.

"Yeah?" Gaheris asked.

"He would tell us how the Collectors wanted the map and so did that walking talking muscle Kodiak. What was his name? Tears? Something like that. Anyway, the map was a way to the Abyss. Maybe the Magog found out if they didn't know already."

"Yeah, I always wondered why Harper wasn't trying to develop something to get in there and destroy it or captivate it." Alex said.

"He was." Maria said. "He told me a week before he died. Talk about good timing. Gave me the schematics and everything. Shal and I have been working on it ever since. Sorry Gaheris." Maria added.

Gaheris shrugged. "They were going to find out anyway."

"Wait, Hero." Gaheris winced at the nickname Oenone gave him whenever he started sounding too much like Dylan. And when she was pissed at him. "You knew?"

"Yeah..."

"And you didn't tell me?" Oenone asked sounding offended.

"Or me? Your first officer?" Alex asked. Alex and Oenone looked at Joy.

"Oh, I have known for awhile." She simply said.

"GAHERIS!"

"O-ne, she is good at guesses!" Gaheris said defensivly.

"Anyways!" Oenone said annoyed and glaring ,"Dylan said Walking Talking Muscle wanted the map too. And Collectors but he never said if Magog did too. The Abyss defiantly did but I wonder if he told Magog.

"If it had, I always wondered why there weren't Magog when Muscle and Mom were thrown through and followed by the Andromeda. Or maybe they wanted the Andromeda to go through and they really were there."

"I thought I saw a small ship on sensors..."Andromeda said ,"But I dismissed it as one of the glitches Harper hadn't fixed yet."

"Either way, what is your point?" Gaheris asked.

"That the universe is fucked up! There are Magog floating around in giant fruit making sure we don't get through the Route of Ages which, by the way, we still don't know why we want to go through!" Oenone snapped.

"Yes, that would make sense." Gaheris said vaguely. Oenone shook her head.

"Well Joy?" Gaheris asked. "Why do we want to go through?"

"Well, Mother knew Dylan had failed when Beka and Rhade died. They were essential to the future. But she didn't see the possibility of children so she thought we might still win." Joy started. "Then, she died and I knew we were lost.

"Then Harper...Rommie...Dylan...it is too far in this future to fix. We need to warn Dylan and our parents about the first Magog sweep, where they wiped out the most troops. At Giro, that Magog ambush.

"Also about Tri-Jemma's and Tri-Chamile's betrayal of the Commonwealth to the Collectors. And give them Harper's Mirror Between Life and Death." Joy was then interrupted.

"Harper's WHAT?" Alex asked.

"It is the name of the machine Harper was building to destabilize the Abyss." Joy said distractedly. "

"Joy, time travel isn't...isn't a reality anymore. Not since Harper died." Maria said.

"We don't need tesseracts if that's what you mean." Joy said. "The Route of Ages isn't only alternate Universes. There is a doorway in the Route of Ages that it Time. All about Time. When we go through, I have to use a lot of my energy as a star to focus on the right time to go back to.

"Then, I might be a little weak and if that happens you might have to tell them everything they need to know."

"That's...interesting." Maria said slowly.

"Are you sure about this?" Gaheris asked.

"_YES! _"Joy said. "Mother told me about it before she died. She said only to use it as a last resort and I think this is the time. Magog in Peaches, Nietzscheans picking off the people who aren't dead because of Magog in Peaches. Nobody is living well. Not even The Dragans."

"According to Joy's calculations, the door we need is about to come around." Andromeda interrupted.

"Gaheris looked up sharply, "When?"

"Five minutes and the next time that door comes around wont be for 70 minutes." Andromeda replied.

"I'd go now, that ship looks pretty hard to get by." Maria said. "And...I think they know we are coming."

Maria pointed to the viewscreen and almost everyone's mouths dropped open.

"Holy..."Oenone started.

"Shit." Gaheris finished.

"It's...what is it doing?" Oenone asked. The Peach looked like it was growing wings. They came up from each side and...

"Oh, Crap." Alex said. Guns of all kinds we coming from those wings.

"They are going to blast the hell out of us. Then, they are going to wrap us in little gold paper, stick a bow around us and kick us to hell themselves!" Oenone said.

"O-ne, think you are exaggerating?" Gaheris asked, not looking up from the screen.

"No."

"Either way, Andromeda...brace for impact. Oenone, take us in."

A/N Review and I'll give you candy!!! j/k but review anyway!!


	6. Power is Everything

A/N Just to let you all know, I am changing my pen name once again! I am sorry!!

**Jade Rebel: I will honor your request in a later chapter. I have it written all out nut I need to type it. It is in another chapter or two.**

Chapter 6

Andromeda was being flown by Oenone and was not hitting most of the missiles. Not that it mattered. The ones that did hit did enough damage that they didn't need them all.

"Dammit! Hero, this isn't working!" Oenone shouted.

"You don't think I know that?" Gaheris shouted back, testily.

"Well...do something!" Oenone shouted above the noise.

"SHUT UP!" Maria screamed. They all looked at Maria in astonishment despite their current situation. She was normally soft spoken. "Focus!"

"Yes Madam." Oenone muttered.

"Dyl..."Andromeda started. "Gaheris, the door we need is in 3 minutes. We need to go faster."

"Oenone, you heard the lady."

"I am an AI."

"Accelerating." Oenone said.

The Andromeda evaded most of the missiles still.

"Hull breaches on decks 1-17." Andromeda reported. "Sealing off Command."

Time seemed to slow down. Oenone's hands were no longer a blur as they moved, they seemed to be at a regular pace. Gaheris was saying something.

"Wwwwwweeeeeennnnnnneeeeeeeedddddddttttttttoooooooohhhhhhuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!" It sounded.

"wweenneeeeddttoohhuurrrryy!" Gaheris tried again. "WE NEED TO HURRY!"

"Gaheris..."Maria said suddenly.

"What?"

"We aren't going to make it!"

Gaheris ran over to Maria's console.

"We need to go faster! O-ne!"

"There is no faster!"

"It's too late." Joy said quietly. No one heard her.

"The Magog are firing!"

Another impact jolted the Andromeda off course.

"We are almost there!" Alex shouted.

"It is too late. The door has gone by." Andromeda said.

"Andromeda! Hard one-eighty, now!" Gaheris shouted. He thought he saw something flash briefly in the AI's eyes but the next second he was sure he had imagined it.

"Gaheris, we are stuck in the gravity pull!" Maria exclaimed.

"Andromeda, give it all you got!" Gaheris yelled.

Slowly, the Andromeda pulled itself out.

"Uh oh."

"What Oenone?" Gaheris asked.

"Umm...the Peach is mad. And...umm...I don't think it likes being mad." Oenone answered.

"O-ne, get us out of here!"

"Where to?"

"Pick a place! But we need to be able to get back here!"

Just as Oenone brought them into Slipstream, a missile hit the back of the Andromeda.

"Shit! That just blew out..." The entire command was going dark slowly. "The main power relays." Maria said.

"Oenone, drop us out of slipstream now!" Gaheris ordered sharply. In seconds, the were on the edge of a system Gaheris wasn't familiar with. Not that it mattered much. At that second, the power decided to go out all together.

"Andromeda?" Gaheris asked.

"I I I I I I I" Was all Andromeda kept repeating before she blinked out all together.

"Maria?" Oenone asked.

"As far as I can tell lifesupport is still online."

"That's good. Okay, everyone, come to med deck." Gaheris said.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"To get Shalimar. Only she can fix this."

"Yes but why do we all need to go?"

"Well, there isn't much you can do here. And Shalimar will kill you if you screw something up but you can try." Gaheris answered.

"Yeah, lets go get Shal." Alex answered.


	7. EWWWW

Chapter 7

In med deck everyone was crowded around Shalimar's bed. The said person was sitting up reading a flexi of all the damage that the Magog just caused.

Shalimar finished reading it and closed her eyes.

"Shal?" Gaheris asked.

"ZZZZBTT!"

"Sha..."

"ZZZBTSH!"

"Sh..."

"ZZBTTSHHH!" Shalimar cut him off each time. Oenone and Alex glanced at each other, trying not to laugh.

Shalimar started talking slowly. "hwthhlludithis?" She asked softly.

"Eh?" Maria asked.

"How the hell did you manage to screw us over this bad?"

"Oh."

"It isn't like we meant to." Oenone said testily.

"Ok. Look, Maria will work on the slipstream core seeing as she is the only one who knows how. Remind me to thank Harper for teaching her. Oenone, you and Alex get to Command to bring weapons and sensors back online as soon as main power is back. Gaheris, you come with me to get the power online. Joy...do whatever it is you need to do." Shalimar said. Gaheris nodded.

"You heard her, get going." Gaheris said as everyone filed out of Medical. "Can you walk?"

"I better." Shalimar mumbled. "I wouldn't be able to live it down if you had to carry me."

Gaheris smiled and put his arm around her to help her off the table. Shalimar immediately felt like little fires were on Gaheris' finger tips and when he took his arm back, she could still feel where his hands were.

As the walked, Shal glanced at Gaheris.

_He's nice, good looking, Hero boy, not typical Nietzschean and...Gaheris!! Ewwwww! It is the guy whose O-ne and I once dyed purple and pink. The guy who...EWWWWWW...walked in on me in the shower last week. Oh my god!! I...I...I am attracted to my Captain/Best friend!!! Uggg. He has Dylan's 'never love my crew in THAt way' thing._

"Shalimar?" Gaheris asked.

"Gaheris?" She answered.

"Why are you looking at me in a mix between disgust and...dare I say it...attraction.

Shalimar choked. "Excuse me?!?"

Gaheris just looked at her. Shalimar mad e aface like she was going to throw up.

"Ew! Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew!!! No I am sorry Gaheris but just cause you can charm other chicks into your bed doesn't mean that...EWWW!" Shalimar said cringing and continued walking.

Gaheris smirked all to Telemachus-y and kept walking too.

In Command, Oenone and Alex had just arrived. Since there was nothing to do, they sat down and started talking about 'the good old days'.

"Oh remember when we were, like 13, we started kissing in the middle of Trance's Sex Ed. talk? Just to see what she would say" Oenone asked laughing.

Alex started laughing too. "Yeah, Trance then said "You see! When this starts one thing leads to another and the next thing you know you have 3 little kids running around'!"

"Oh god that scarred me. I choked and you then coked and..." Oenone broke up laughing there.

Between breaths Alex said. "Yeah, yeah, we started coughing and sputtering and Trance just smiled and said 'you are lucky you aren't an Arcad because you would be pregnant now!"

"Eww! My god that freaked me out!" Oenone said cringing.

"Yeah, you kept coming up to dad and asking him if there were any Arcads in our bloodline." With that they both exploded laughing.

Maria and Joy, who insisted on coming, were on their way to the core. Joy and Maria had never really gotten along. Not until Joy said Maria's life did she finally start to trust her.

"Joy...just out of curiosity...how old was your mother when she had you?"

Joy smiled. "Old."

"Like, your age?" Maria asked.

"About my age yes. Give or take a few hundred years."

"Then Joy...how do we know that you aren't pregnant?"

"Because I promise that I am not."

"Ok...why are you coming with me."

"Because...because I have been having...visions, dreams and they scare me. I...I don't want to be alone." Joy said softly.

They worked from then on in silence, only talking when Maria asked Joy for a tool or help.

"Okay this oughta do it....ha!" Shalimar exclaimed as she hit a button. "Yes!" she jumped up as the power came back online.

"Good job." Gaheris said.

"Ow!" She said suddenly, doubling over. Gaheris was at her side in an instant.

"Shal?"

"Ow."

"is it you ribs?" Gaheris asked, concern clouding his face.

"Oh yeah."

"Come on." Gaheris said putting his arm around her waist and helping her up. "You need to get to med-deck.

"Oh dammit."

"What now?"

"I think I am going to have to live with the shame." Shalimar said.

"What shame?"

"Of you having to carry me." Shalimar said, blacking out.

Gaheris caught her and picked her up and started heading to med deck.

As soon as main power was online, Oenone and Alex jumped up to the weapons and sensors stations.

"Nothing on sensors." Alex said.

"Weapons are...holy crap online! Yes!!!! Something went right!" Oenone exclaimed.

In the slip stream core, Maria was surprised to find that all the damages were only minor and the slipstream drive was up and running in ten minutes.

"Score one for the Romms!" Maria muttered.

"Romms?" Joy asked.

"Yeah, I was going to say Rommies (A/N Cyndy and my idea I don't remember who thought of it but andromeda fans are Rommies! YEAH!) but that sounded a lot like Rommie who is dead so it wouldn't work. So, we are the Romms."

Joy just looked at her.

"Look, when I am not on Command duty I have a lot of free time." Maria muttered, heading to Command with Joy.

Everyone was in command except...

"Where's Hero boy?" O-ne asked.

"He is in Medical requests your help Joy." Andromeda replied.

Joy nodded and ran from the room.

As soon as Joy got to medical, she saw Shalimar and feared the worst.

"What happened?" Joy asked rushing over.

"She was fixing th power and I guess she moved wrong because she passed out in pain."

"She shifted the broken ribs. I have to re-align them."

"Ok, do what you can I will be in command."

A/n ok I am sorry it is sooo long...enjoy!


	8. Luck

Chapter 8

Gaheris came running into command. "Oenone, bring us to the Route of Ages. With any luck the Magog will think we are too afraid or damaged to return."

"And when was the last time we had any luck?" Oenone muttered.

"Be prepared to do some fancy piloting hotshot." Alex said.

"Brace for slipstream."

After a minute in slipstream, the Andromeda popped back into normal space.

"Good piloting, O-ne. And hey, our luck, no Magog." Gaheris said.

"And do you really believe that?" Maria asked.

"No."

"One minute until the door we need comes around according to Joy's calculations." Andromeda said.

"Acknowledged, Oenone bring us in."

"You got it."

"Magog! Coming in fast!" Maria said suddenly.

"40 seconds until we reach the door." Alex put in.

"They're firing!"

"30 seconds!"

"Hull breach on deck twelve. Sealing." Andromeda said.

"15 seconds!"

"They are almost to us!"

"10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1."

"Everyone relax!" Joy came in running.

Time itself seemed to slow down. Gaheris closed his eyes and immediately his father's last words came to him, the message they had sent before the Maru blew up.

"Gaheris, there isn't much time, we are being chased by Magog. If you are getting this, your Mother and I are dead. I just want you to know that we love you and your sister. Take care of O-ne, she is much more…emotional. This will be terrible for her. And you, so I am so sorry. I know she is strong but still look after her. Make sure she doesn't get into any more trouble then normal. Be that overprotective brother you were when that Pieter boy tried to kiss her on Nicami Drift and you broke his legs. Do it for us…please. Remember to listen to Joy, she knows more then she is letting on. Be strong and never forget what you need to do. I love you."

At this point Beka's head popped nest to his. "I do too!"

"Good bye son."

Alex was having a somewhat different reaction. It was as if he was reliving his worst memories. When he was two and got trapped in an escape pod. 10, watching his dad beaten. 14, his really big fight with Shal that lasted til they were 15. And now his father's death. Every bloody detail.

Maria was having her time on the drift flashing through her mind before Harper had saved her. Starving…beaten…abandoned…

Oenone was thinking of her parent's death too. Their guts being ripped out by Magog or screaming in the fiery hellhole the Maru became.

Shalimar, being unconscious, only had dreams. Trance was running through the woods and she was following.

"TRANCE! WAIT!"

"Don't stop!" Trance yelled back and disappeared.

Joy stood in the middle of Command trying to pinpoint the exact time frame they needed.

"So close. Almost…there! There they are!" Joy yanked the Andromeda out of the time portal and into the past.

On Dylan's Andromeda

"Dylan, something…odd is happening." Rommie said.

"Odd? How so?" Dylan asked.

"A ship has…appeared." Rommie said.

"You mean dropped out of slipstream?"

"No, it just appeared."

Dylan walked over to her console.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes...and, Dylan...the ship…it's me."

Dylan just stared at her. A older looking and more beat up image of the Andromeda appeared.

"They are hailing us." Rommie said.

"Put it through."

Dylan and Rommie looked up in shock.

"I am Gaheris Rhade II, out of Rebecca by Telemachus, Captain of the Andromeda. May we come aboard and talk?"


	9. Die in a food fight

**Oenone- **this is all for you. I was going to be too lazy and update in a week or so but seeing as I have caught a damn cold and u were so…enthusiastic, I update now!

Chapter 9

"Yeah, ok, there are people with the exact same ship as us, their captain is named Gaheris and looks just like Rhade who want to come aboard. And we are letting them why?" Harper asked as he reached command and Dylan filled him in. "And am I the only one who finds this freaking creepy?"

"No. Andromeda, tell Beka and Rhade to meet us at Hanger deck 12."

Andromeda closed her eyes.

"Rhade…" Andromeda's hologram popped up in Rhade's quarters. "Beka?!"

Both Beka and Rhade's eyes shot open. Beka went red and Rhade just sighed and closed his eyes. Beka was laying with her head on Rhade's chest and were obviously naked. You didn't have to an AI to figure out what had happened.

"Dylan wants you to meet him at hanger deck12. And I assume he wants you both to be fully clothed." Andromeda said, raising and eyebrow and blinked out.

Dylan watched as Andromeda raised her eyebrow before she opened her eyes and said "Beka and Rhade will meet you there."

Beka and Rhade arrived a few seconds after Dylan and Harper.

"Dylan." Beka acknowledged the captain.

"Beka."

"Dylan." Rhade nodded.

"Rhade."

"Harper!" Harper yelled.

"Dylan, three slipfighters have docked and six people have departed." Andromeda informed them.

"Ok, let them in."

Beka, Dylan, Harper, and Rhade stood in awe. So did the six strangers. Dylan couldn't stop staring at the two blondes. One of them, the girl, looked a lot like him, but also not. And the boy looked almost identical to the girl.

Harper couldn't stop staring at the gold girl and at the alien girl. It was so…weird.

Rhade and Beka's eyes were glued to the two Nietzscheans. They looked so much like them…

"I am Gaheris Rhade II, out of Rebecca by Telemachus," Beka's eyes bugged out as Rhade looked at his son in a mixture of disbelief and pride. "And this is my sister Oenone." Beka glanced at her and did a double take, realizing they were wearing the same clothes.

"And I am the Captain of Andromeda. This is my first officer, Alexander Hunt. My Engineer, Shalimar Hunt. Unfortunatly, she has been injured in a battle against the Magog. Broken ribs, nothing serious but our medical equipment was damaged and we would appreciate it if we could have Trance help her."

Dylan just stood there with his mouth hanging open.

"Oenone is my pilot. This is Joy Gemini, my medical officer." Gaheris continued, ignoring the silence. "And last Maria Toshiba, life support and sensors. It is wonderful to see you all again."

"I…have…have we met?" Dylan asked.

Gaheris smiled. "Yes we have."

"Who are you?" Harper asked.

"We jut told you that." The one called Maria said. Harper got the idea that it was taking a lot of self control for her not to come running and hug him, though he didn't know why.

Oenone apparently couldn't take it anymore. "Look, we just went back in time about twenty years to warn our parents about Magog attacks and dammed Peaches!"

They all raised their eyebrows. "Peaches? What are we going to die in a food fight or something?"

Everyone's attention shifted as Trance came running into the room. "JOY!" She shrieked and hugged her daughter.

"Mother it is so good to see you."

"So, so you are my crew's children." Dylan said.

"Yes." Joy answered.

"Ok, then."

So, so Oenone and Gaheris are…mine and R..Rhade's." Beka started. "And Joy is Trance's, Shal and Al are Dylan's and Maria…"

"Harper's adopted daughter." Oenone put in.

"So, Rhade and I have _kids?_" Beka asked, appalled.

"Yeah. Mom…Dad….we thought we would never see you again." Oenone said, tears in her eyes.

Trance looked over and Joy, horrified. "Beka and Rhade didn't survive?" She asked.

Joy looked down. "No."

"Who did?"

"No one. But us."

"So this is why you are here." Trance said more to herself.

"Yes."

"Well I am sure you can imagine how happy I am to be back here but if you don't mind, Shalimar needs to get to medical." Alex said.

Dylan nodded.

Joy and Trance led the party to med-deck.

"Mother, would it mess up the future terribly if we were to spend some time with our parents?" Joy asked

Trance frowned, thinking. "Well, I believe you have two days until you must leave, I suggest you make the most of that time."

A/N really suck-y I know.


	10. Alex and Dylan

Chapter 10

"So, why are you here." Dylan asked Gaheris who was standing a very close watch on Shalimar.

"I told you. We came here to warn you. When Shalimar is awake I will explain but she wanted to be here when we talk to you about it."

"I see. So you wont tell me anything until my…my daughter wakes up?"

"That is correct." Gaheris said and walked closer to Shalimar. "I suggest you meet with Alex. I am sure he is anxious to meet you."

Dylan saw the boy in question standing against the wall on the other side of the med deck. He walked slowly over to him.

"Hi."

The boy smiled "Hey. It's been a long time."

Dylan looked uncomfortable. "Look, I really don't know what to say or how to react to all of this."

"I understand, it's hard for me too. It was only a little while ago that you died." Alex said softly.

Dylan now looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Do I want to know?"

"Do you?"

Dylan thought for a minute. "I don't think I need to. I think I already know."

"Yeah, probably."

"So, in your future, who did I marry?" Dylan asked.

"You married a woman named Anya."

"What was she like."

"I don't know. She died giving birth in the Maru."

"Oh, Im sorry."

"Me too."

"So, was I a good dad?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah, you had your quirks but we worked around them."

"Quirks?"

"Oh yeah."

"Like what?"

"You were obsessed with teaching me and Shalimar basketball for one thing. When I didn't like it you tried to teach me baseball. In one of Andromeda's hangers."

Dylan's eyebrows shot up. "You serious?"

"Yeah, I hit a gun, one of Andromeda's cannons mounted on the wall. Knocked the crap out of it and it started malfunctioning. Started shooting. Not at us." He added at Dylan's face. "Just straight forward. Made Harper laugh."

"So, you are first officer, how is it to serve under Gaheris?"

Alex smiled. "He has some of your personality traits, seeing as you helped train him."

"Personality traits? How so?"

"Let's just say Oenone nicknamed him 'Hero Boy'."

Dylan groaned. "Am I still getting heat for that? The whole 'hero' thing?"

"Yup."


	11. bastards

A/N The next few chapters are going to be focused only on the parent/Child talking

Chapter 11

Oenone looked at Shalimar. Her best friend. Laying on the table while all the tests were being administered. She didn't know what she had expected, coming back to the old Andromeda. Not a warm welcome, but not this.

Beka came up behind her. This was still hard for her to grasp. She slept with Telemachus once, once!! Could she already be pregnant? The girl looked so much like her, and Rhade_. This is all too weird. _

"So, um…"

"Do you remember what you said?" Oenone asked softly.

"Er…no."

"Before you and Dad got together I mean."

"Well, I was alive for a long time before that."

Oenone smiled, pained. "You said to Dylan once, "If I ever have kids, that will be the day I die and you will know that Beka Valentine has gone crazy." The irony of that is you didn't die when you had kids, but you died on the anniversary you got pregnant."

Beka looked at Oenone, clearly uncomfortable. "Well, umm…that's…weird."

"Yeah."

"So how badly did I mess you up?"

"What?" Oenone turned to Beka.

"How badly did I screw you for life?"

Oenone smiled a big Beka smile. "You didn't. You taught me piloting, how to stay alive in this universe, how to bug Dylan. Everything worth knowing in other words. You used to say I was almost as good a pilot as you. And coming from you…"

"That's saying something." Beka finished. She was really starting to like this kid.

"It's really good to see you. I thought….I thought I would never see you again in this life."

"How did I…how did I die?" Beka asked.

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah, that way I can get revenge in advance."

Oenone smiled. "You were returning from a supply run and…and Magog attacked. They blew up the Maru."

Beka looked furious. "Oh, they did not!"

Oenone smirked in her Telemachus-y way. "Oh yes they did."

"I am going to kill every last one of those sons of bitches! Kill me, bad. Kill Maru, Asking for a death sentence!"

"Yeah I figured you'd say that."

"They blew up the Maru?" She asked again, as though she couldn't believe it.

"_yes_!" Oenone said.

"Bastards."


	12. His son

Chapter 12

Telemachus stood off to the side, watching Oenone and Beka talk. They seemed to be getting along well. He watched as Gaheris was standing next to Shalimar, running his hands through her hair and whispering to her. So, he decided to talk to him.

"I believe you are named after the same Gaheris that betrayed Dylan am I correct?" Telemachus asked.

Gaheris didn't look up but kept stroking Shalimar. "Yes, that is correct."

"Why would I name you after a man who tried to kill my captain. I don't believe I would."

Gaheris kissed Shalimar's forehead gently then looked up at Telemachus. "You named me after him after a talk with Dylan. I don't know what he said but I do know you were very pleased with it. That's all you ever told me."

Telemachus just nodded. "So, in your future, Beka and I are married."

"In a sense." Gaheris said. "It was more of an understanding then actually legal. In fact, it was never legal. All that was known was that you loved each other and if Beka caught you cheating on her ever, Oenone and I would never have any siblings. Not that we had any anyway."

Telemachus nodded. That sounded like a Beka thing to say. "So I am guessing she wasn't fond of the idea of polygamy."

Gaheris snorted "Yeah, that you two never brought up but you never did take another wife, seeing as it is well known that Mom wont share her men, and that she would kill you and the lady in your sleep if you ever tried."

Telemachus smiled. "Guess you got a grip on us pretty well."

"Well, I should, I am your son." Gaheris said, turning back to Shalimar.

"You with her?" Telemachus asked, nodding to Shal.

"She is my engineer." Gaheris said.

"Of course." Telemachus said. Gaheris shot him a look of annoyance so close to his own, Telemachus could have sworn he was looking in a mirror.

"She is my engineer and best friend for 17 years. I am concerned for her wellbeing."

Telemachus just nodded. But on the inside he was beaming with pride. His son. 18. The overprotective-ness, the kiss, the stroking. He noticed on this trip Gaheris was never more then 5 feet away from Shalimar. No doubt the girl was pretty. And 'best friends'. He knew that Gaheris cared about her. If he didn't know any better, he would swear that they were mates.

And how when Shalimar was conscious by the hanger she seemed to look to Gaheris for support. Not her brother, not Oenone, one of the other girls her age. Gaheris. His son. God, he was proud.


	13. Magog bastards

Chapter 13

Harper looked around and saw the girl, Maria was it, standing off to the side, not looking very happy.

"Hi."

Maria jumped. "Oh, hi."

"So, you are my adopted daughter?" Harper asked.

"Yeah I am." Maria said.

"So, uh, how did I adopt you."

Maria looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, you went to a drift to try and get some parts for Andromeda. And, I was there and you took me away. You never officially adopted me but, well there really was no government to adopt from at that time."

"Oh. I see. Was I…was I a bad dad?" Harper asked shyly. Maria looked at him shocked.

"No! Why would you say that?"

"Well, I used to have dogs or other animals a lot and they all died."

Maria smiled "It isn't as easy to kill me."

"So, I wasn't very good then…"

"NO! You were a great dad. Taught me all the crap I know now."

"I'm surprised you aren't an engineer. I think I would teach my kid how to fix a ship…"

"Oh you did. But you were also training Shalimar at the time and she was a lot better then me. In the old Commonwealth, I would be a standard engineer but Shalimar is above and beyond. But I am kickass at sensors." Maria joked.

"Oh, I see. Did you get my sense of humor?" Harper asked.

Maria grinned. "Oh yeah. One time Shalimar, Oenone and I dyed Gaheris's hair pink purple when he was asleep. How we managed without him waking up is still a mystery to me. He was so angry, it wouldn't come out for a month!"

Harper looked over at Gaheris and Telemachus and started laughing. He could juts picture Rhade walking around with pink hair.

"That's great!"

"Yeah, you used to talk about that a lot. You loved it".

"Used to? I died…"

Maria looked down sadly. "Yeah."

"How? Did the Magog…"

"Kinda. They didn't make you an incubator if that is what you mean. They were shooting and well, they shot a hole in the Andromeda and you were unfortunate enough to be walking by at that time."

"Oh. I always knew the Magog would be my downfall."

"Not if we can help it. We're here to try to prevent that, and other things."

"Yeah, I'm still wondering how you guys came back in time. A stroke of genius."

"That, you would have to ask Joy about. She is the one who did it. I'm not entirely sure how but she did. She tried to explain it to us but I got lost after a few seconds. I don't think even Gaheris knew what she was talking about but we learned a long time ago to trust Trance and Joy."

"Yeah, I haven't been too good with that myself." Harper said. "Well, about Trance I mean."

Maria smiled. "Oh yeah, believe me I know."

"Goddamn Magog." Harper muttered.

"You said it."


	14. Mad

A/N I know it is short so kill me

Chapter 14

Trance and Joy stood over Shalimar.

"So how bad was it?" Trance asked quietly.

"Bad, very bad. First you...you were destroyed by collectors."

"Oh." 

"Then Beka and Rhade died. Then Harper, then Dylan and Rommie. Everything was in shambles."

"I see."

They worked in silence for awhile.

"How far along are we now?" Trance asked.

Joy frowned. "Not far, you can still save it."

"That is good. Did...did i tell you to tell me anything....just in case." 

Joy looked surprised for a moment then said. "Well, one time, when things were looking really badly you said that you should have asked for outside help. you said it more to yourself though. Do you...know what that means?"

TRance looked thoughtful. "I have an idea...But i am not sure." 

"oh ok."

"I'm thinking i should have tried going to our people for help." 

Joy looked shocked "Are you sure? I mean, they arent exactly happy with you are they?"

"No, no they are not but they dont want to see the universe thrown into chaos anymore then i do."

"Remind me why they are mad at you again."

"Well, they didnt like the way i...exposed myself to Dylan and eventually the crew, they thought that Dylan would use it to his advantage or take advantage and trap me. Then, they would have to do a coverup." 

"That cant be the only reason!"

"It isnt."


	15. Explainy?

15

Dylan and Alex walked over to Shalimar. Dylan looked at Alex uncertainly. Alex just pushed him closer.

"Hi, um, Shalimar?" He said to the unconscious figure. "I know I don't really remember you, but you already mean a lot to me. I am still in shock. This is just so weird. Part of me wants to believe that you aren't real, that you are making this up and that isn't what happened. Another part is so happy and shocked to have you here, I want it to be real."

Shalimar's brow furrowed and her eyes opened. "Yeah I figured." She muttered.

"You're awake!" Alex said.

"Yeah, I have been for the last 5 minutes."

"Eavesdropping?" Alex asked.

Shalimar grinned "Maybe."

"Her vitals are stronger and I think she is ready to leave." Trance said.

"Ok, so, when do you want to tell us …whatever it is you want to tell us?" Dylan asked.

"Conference room, ten minutes." Gaheris said and helped Shalimar to her feet.

"So…" Beka said. She was sitting next to Rhade and holding his hand under the table. The present Andromeda crew was on one side of the table and the future onm the other with Dylan and Gaheris at both ends.

"The future is bad, and getting worse." Joy said. Beka cocked her head at the familiar words.

"What happened?" Telemachus asked.

"In short," Gaheris started. "The Commonwealth split into two groups, Collectors and Separatists. They each tried to fight Magog in their own way and we lost. So, it is Anarchy. The Magog run around taking over system by system. No one is strong enough to oppose them. All ways of life are destroyed."

"The Collectors blew Trance up." Joy said softly.

"Magog shot down Mom and Dad." Oenone said.

"Hull breach got Harper." Maria said.

"And Magog killed Dylan and Aunt Rommie." Alex said.

"So none of us lived?" Dylan asked.

"correct."

There was a long uncomfortable silence.

"So how do we fix it?" Harper asked.

"Well, " Joy said "First, we need to go to the Witchhead nebula."

"Why?"

"Because that is when the collectors start it."


	16. We're off to go to Witchhead, the Wonder...

A/N if you review I will kiss you. sorry, just a little pointless chapter

16

Beka, Rhade and Trance went over to the second Andromeda with Oenone, Gaheris and Joy. They were going to get to the nebula in the other Andromeda instead to be with their children. Dylan and Harper and Rommie stayed onboard with Shalimar, Alex and Maria.

"It's like, patchwork Andromeda." Beka commented flying the Maru over with the Rhade's and Gemini's in the back.

Oenone nodded. "Andromeda will be happy to see you. she hasn't been the same since you all…died. She took it really hard."

Rhade looked thoughtful. "Does the inside look as bad as the outside?" He asked. Beka threw a metal object over the back of her chair at him. "HEY!" he shouted.

"Telemachus, be nice. You know Andromeda doesn't like people insulting her."

Back on present Andromeda, Dylan stood in the captain's space when Shalimar walked in supported by Alex. Maria was close behind with Harper, happily discussing quantum theories.

"Alex, what happens at Witchhead?"

"It's when the collectors first try to turn against the Commonwealth. They bring their ships and a war breaks out. The Collector's goal was to beat down the Commonwealth into surrendering. And they almost did but the small band of Separatists who had already formed came and evened the odds. Andromeda needed to be there, we could have stopped the Collectors." Alex said.

On future Andromeda, the Maru was just landing. As they all climbed out, Holo-Andromeda and holo-Rommie popped up. Rhade and Beka stared. The Android's personality had been in the matrix for a few monthes now and she seemed restless. Andromeda's hair had changed from highlighted with red to a dark sea green. Same with Rommie's. Rommie looked as if she was about to cry.

"If I could hug you I would." She said softly. Rhade smiled and walked over to hug one of her bulkheads.

"I've missed you." Andromeda and Rommie said at the same time. Both had tears rolling down their cheeks as they disappeared.

"They took it really _really _hard." Oenone corrected her earlier statement.

"I see." Rhade said.

"Follow me." Gaheris said.

"Uh, isn't command that way?" Beka asked.

"No." Joy, Gaheris and Oenone all said at the same time.

"Well," Joy started "It was, but we got into some scrapes and explosions and…long stories short, retrofitted bits of the ship to compensate. Built and tore walls, etc."

"Oh." The parents said at the same time."

"We'll get you some schematics." Gaheris said "But now, follow us."

When they got to command, Beka and Rhade looked shocked. Everything was different. Everything didn't match, like they were all torn from different ships.

"Well, they were." Oenone explained. "After the Second Fall, there wasn't anyplace to get the stuff we needed. So, we had to make due with what we could get."

"We are receiving a hail." Andromeda said.

"From who?" Gaheris asked.

"Who do you think?" Oenone asked.

"It is from Dylan." Andromeda said, a faraway look in her eyes.

"Put it through."

"Alright, we're ready, follow us into slipstream." Dylan said.

"O-ne…"Gaheris said.

"Going" Oenone said, walking over to the pilot's controls.


	17. You've Done Beautifully

**A/N SO GUYS! Oooooh my god, I've taken a two year hiatus. My muse had been annoyingly absent. I lost my password, then a lot of family crap happened, lots of stuff etc etc I know that is no excuse for a two year absence of writing, but I HAVE been reading. I promised myself I would finish this story and dammit, I'm going to. I might finish this then move it over to my new account (I made a new one because I pretty much forgot the password to this)**

**So, in regard to the story, we were all fairly sure that Season 5 wouldn't happen, so we were all set at the end of Season 4. Therefore, I don't count Season 5. Rhade does NOT have a wife and Beka is NOT the matriarch of all Nietzcheans, capice? Finally! If anyone is still reading this that started two years ago, I am so so sorry this took so long, but I will finish this.**

"Wow," Beka commented from behind Oenone. "I guess I…well, me…the future me, wasn't wrong. You _are _almost as good a pilot as me."

"Almost." Oenone smirked from the makeshift pilot's station. "You've never crashed into a Than cruiser."

"You did? On accident?"

"Sort of."

Beka raised her eyebrows. "Hey, it was your Hero son's idea, blame him." Beka was feeling something unfamiliar...protectiveness. She was being protective of complete strangers. _My CHILDREN. _ She corrected herself. _God this is gonna take some getting used to._

"I'm surprised how good you seemed to have turned out. Considering…"

"Considering the constant Magog attacks, Nietzschean raids and a ship that's falling apart?"

"Hey!" Andromeda interjected.

"Sorry Andromeda." Oenone amended.

"Well, yeah all that," Beka said, "And the fact that you have ME as a mother…not exactly mothering material am I?"

Oenone looked shocked, "What are you talking about? You were a great mother! You took me out in the Maru, taught me how to fly when I was 6, how to beat up Gaheris when I was 9, we had the entire Andromeda Ascendant as our playground!"

"Hey!" Andromeda interjected again.

"Sorry. And she was a brilliant tool that we used in our education of course." Andromeda gave a little nod of approval and a small smile.

"That's the happiest she's looked in a long time." Oenone said under her breath to Beka. "She's taking this really badly."

Beka nodded. "I'm not surprised. I'm glad you've seemed to keep her grounded." Oenone smiled back.

"We try."

"Were, uhm…" Beka started, slowly and stopped.

"What?" Oenone asked as she brought Andromeda out of slipstream, the current Andromeda coming out a few seconds later.

"Were...were your father and I…happy? Together?" Oenone gave a small smile.

"Yeah, you were. You always were. You told us over and over how much you loved us. And how you'd never stop loving each other."

Rhade and Gaheris stood 30 feet away from Beka and Oenone, behind some bolted down metal crates. Rhade looked around. One the Andromeda he was used to, this would have been a crewman's quarters. More like, three crewmen's quarters, bulkheads ripped out and a few cannibalized stations from command. Scrap metal was laying everywhere. The consoles from command and been stuck to the large metal crates, which were stuck to the floor.

Rhade's gaze shifted to his son, who was looking at his sister.

"You know…I was worried about this at first. About coming back. I didn't know what it would accomplish, or what it would do to O-ne." Rhade glanced at his daughter, standing by Beka. HIS daughter. BEKA and HIS daughter. He felt the pride from earlier returning at the sight of Oenone standing by Beka. He would go to the ends of the earth for her.

"She seems happy. And a lot like Beka." Rhade commented.

"Yeah, she's happier now. It hasn't been that way for awhile. She's sunk into…not depression really, more like angry numbness. It's been hard to watch. She took it…she took it really hard. We all did, of course." He added quickly. "Oenone just…a lot worse than the rest of us. I've been worried about her for a long time. I've just been lost, I have no idea what to do. But this has been good to her. It'll probably help her come to terms with what has happened. She never really got to say goodbye."

Rhade nodded. "So you take care of her?"

"Of course. That's how you raised me. I promised you I would. Not that I needed you to tell me to. She is my sister. I'm not going to let her get hurt, though she'd kill me for suggesting she needs and sort of protection."

Rhade smiled. "Got Beka's independent spirit."

"Oh yeah. And your anger."

Rhade raised his eyebrows. "My anger?"

"Oh come on Dad, you can't hide behind anything with me." Gaheris said with that smirk which was so like his father's. "Anger's in everybody. She just…harnesses yours a bit differently."

"I've talked to the other members of your crew. They like you, respect you and trust in you." Gaheris looked up as his father spoke. "You have no idea...how _proud_ I am of you."

Gaheris smiled and pulled his father into a brief hug.

**Current Andromeda**

Alex stood at the tactical station, one arm grabbing it for support and the other around his sister's waist. As far as he could tell, she was still having problems standing, even as the nano bots Trance injected repaired her ribs.

"It's really him Shal, we're really seeing him again." Alex whispered.

"The last time we say him really wasn't that long ago, a few hours ago at the most." Shalimar responded, swaying a bit.

"Shalimar…we just watched him DIE." Alex said, shocked and quiet.

"I know. I know, I'm trying really hard not to dwell on it right now." Shalimar said sadly.

They both glanced over to see Dylan following their Andromeda through Slipstream.

"So, uhm, Maria, you're not…uhm…" Harper started awkwardly.

"Human?" Maria offered with a small smile. "I'm Syrian. You found me on a drift orbiting my home world, Syra. Saved my life."

"So…I've finally managed to save someone?" Harper asked with a big goofy grin.

"Saved my life." She repeated, "Gave me a home and a huge family."

"So uh, how old are you?" He asked.

"I'm 16, 17 in a month or so." She said mildly.

"So, you had a good life with me and all? Well as good as it can be with Magog running around…but…were you happy?" Harper looked down suddenly, very interested in his shoes.

Maria put her hands and his shoulders and looked at him straight on. "You were a great dad. I was happier with you than I had ever been before."

"You know, when all this is over, Imma buy you a Sparky Cola." Harper said, grinning insanely.

"You're on." Maria returned his crazy smile.

Trance and Joy stood face to face, in the back of the future Andromeda's makeshift command deck, palms together, eyes closed. Trance's skin was the harsh gold and a brown, opposite Joy's soft gold hues. The same, yet completely different.

To everyone else, Trance and Joy seemed to not be paying attention to their surroundings at all, when in fact, they were communicating solely between themselves. They pulled themselves into a vast, black, empty space, surrounded by blinking lights and each standing on a small silver circle which floated in mid air.

"What do we do now?" Joy asked.

"When we get to Witchhead, we call the rest of the Commonwealth, the TRUE Commonwealth and we stand against the Collectors to finish this. This is not a war we need right now." Trance said serenely.

"So then…"

"Yes." Trance said sadly. "We need to get rid of the Collectors. We need someone to go to their ship, and destroy it. We will use the battle as a diversion. As smart as they think they are, they won't expect someone to come right to them. Meanwhile, you and I will be paying a little visit to our people."

Joy nodded in understanding. "Will they help?"

"Some will. We will know which ones are loyal now. We cannot fail." Trance said.

"I know Mother. We won't."

Trance looked at Joy and smiled. "You have done beautifully."


	18. Battle Stations

"Gaheris." Dylan hailed the future Andromeda. They had just dropped out of Slipstream. "We're here, now what's the next step?" Gaheris turned to look at Trance behind him, who inclined her head slightly and disappeared into a little ball of gold light.

Dylan jumped back when Trance materialized right in front of him.

"We need you to call the true Commonwealth. Captains Veia, Deller, Sheyher and Marrow are not to be trusted. Start on a battle plan for the collectors. They want to destroy you here and humiliate the Commonwealth where it was last defeated.

Dylan nodded, "I'll send couriers to the fleet." Trance shifted slightly and Dylan raised his eyebrows.

"I need to speak with you in private." Trance said quietly. Dylan nodded and led Trance out of Command and into his quarters. "We cannot destroy the Collectors by simply fighting them, this is psychological as well."

"What are you suggesting?" Dylan asked, already knowing the answer.

"Joy will be taking Oenone and Alex to the Collectors' flagship."

"To kill the Collectors." Dylan said.

"Their ship will be in the back of the fleet, trying to stay out of the way." Trance said. "They need to get aboard and plant a bomb Shalimar has been working on. It will destroy the shit when planted in the Slipstream core."

"I can't let Alex and Oenone risk their lives," Dylan said, predictably. "I'll go."

"No, Dylan, you can't! You're needed here in the fight. They don't see this as risking their lives, if they succeed they will be returning to such a better future. They need to do this."

"I don't like it." Dylan said simply.

"I know." Trance conceded. "But it's the only way."

Dylan nodded, "I trust you."

"I have to go."

Dylan blanched. "What?"

"I need to see my people and find out why they didn't help the first time this happened and if we can rely on them now. I will return."

Dylan could do nothing nod.

"Shal." Gaheris said through the still open comm link. "We need you, Alex and Maria back here ASAP. Mom and Dad are returning to Dylan now."

Shalimar nodded. "Got it, we're on our way."

Maria gave Harper a bone crushing hug.

"I'll see you before you leave…right?" Harper asked.

"I hope so. If not…" Maria pressed a flexi into Harper's hands. "This is the date and place you found me. Please get there." Maria gave a small smile and ran after Shalimar and Alex.

"Bye Dad." Shalimar and Alex each hugged Dylan and jogged to the slipfighters, followed closely by Maria.

"All right, this is my latest creation. Plant this on the slipstream drive and get the hell out, boom, instant destruction." Shalimar said, looking between Oenone and Alex. "Type in the activation code, set the timer and get. Out."

Oenone nodded in understanding.

"I should be doing, I can do this!" Shalimar said angrily. "My ribs are fine, I can go."

"Gaheris needs you here. We need to make sure the ship will get us to the Route of Ages or we will be screwed."

"But…"

"Shal, Gaheris NEEDS you. He's strong and all, but he's been holding us together for so long. Honey, he needs you. That boy had loved you for well over 3 years and we all know damn well you love him too. Just help him. Alex and I can take care of this."

Shalimar could only stare after them as Alex and Oenone walked out.

"Dylan, the loyal members of the Commonwealth fleet have arrived. They are all demanding explanations." Andromeda reported.

"Of course they are. Open a comm channel to…all…of them." Dylan said. "I know you're all wondering why I have called you here. The Collectors are ready to destroy the Commonwealth. Here is where we fight them for what we've worked so hard for. Where we draw them until it's done. They will be –." A Loud beeping cut off Dylan.

"Captain, the Collectors have entered the system." Andromeda interrupted.

"Everyone, Battle Stations!"


End file.
